African Elephants and Big Smiles

Elephants are healthy and thriving in Zambia. On our drive from Lusaka, Zambia’s capital city, to Mongu we passed through Zambia’s largest game reserve, Kafue National Park. However, at the side of the Mongu Highway lay a big rig pulling dual trailers. The Zambians try to haul as much as they can from one point to another because this country is so spread out. It’s roughly the size of Texas.

How did the big rig end up on its side? Our driver, Morris Kasiwa, told us the elephant bulls were fighting in the middle of the highway when the big rig drove up on them. One elephant was so enranged it attacked the big rig, flipped it over and destroyed the cab. The crew escaped with seconds to live, but their truck didn’t make it. Just a slight risk for traveling through Kafue National Park.

It is beautiful. We saw elephants, zebras, kudos, warthogs, and herds of impalas. On my previous trip I also saw a hippopotamus. On our return to Lusaka at the end of the week we’ll pass through Kafue. I hope we see the elusive lions.

Once out of this extremely protected wildlife park we stopped in the village of Kaoma in the Western Province of Zambia. The face of a toddler I met sticks with me. He was just so full of life. We all just smiled broadly as he danced spontaneously. It was a beautiful site — and on this very long journey brought us tremendous energy. For us his smile and dance was a real gift. Some might say it was God’s way of saying, “Welcome to Africa.”